All FACs are documented mental cases. The Spads are there to keep the FAC under control. Otherwise he might land, jump out and open a can of whoopass on the NVA troops, beating, pistol whipping and biting them into submission.

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All hail to those airborne FAC's! I don't believe they use them anymore. Lot of articles in Air Force magazine about tactical AF troops on the ground right there in the mud with the Marines and Army troops. They can call in all sorts of tacair, from F-16's, to B-1's, B-2's and B-52's! Oh, yes, they can also call in a flying tank or two...you know, the ones that sound like the aircraft consumed ten cans of beans each time they shoot....brrrrrrrrp! (You know...30 mike-mike beans!

Saw one come down a river for about a half a mile with a mini-gun pod and a few rockets all going like hell on a track. Then it simply went up out of range and maybe eight or nine minutes later four F4 Phantoms came along and finished everything quite nicely.

Only time I saw both in close proximity to one another, and have no idea whether they were working together or not.

I always thought a OV-10A would make a nifty neat-o keen private plane.

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During the Cali fires there were several OV-10s spotting for air tankers.

Yep. During the Tubbs and Nun Fires I watched the air assets. Several of the OV-10s, a C-130, a couple of DC-10s. There was one that https://www.flightradar24.com/38.48,-122.65/12IDed as an L-1011. Some of those OV-10 pilots must have a death wish. Watched 'em just barely clearing the hill tops so they could get down and get a good look.

Of course, the pilots of those borate bombers (yeah, I know, they don't use borate anymore) don't seem too keen on a long life either. God bless their brave and crazy souls.

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I used to work on OV-10s in the 80s. You guys are right, it IS a BAAAD little aircraft.

The "A" model had 5 external stores stations that could carry rockets, flares and, as Forty Rod mentioned, gunpods. But it wasn't a minigun, it was a 20mm gun, just like a Cobra helicopter. And it could carry two of them!

The wing stations could carry AIM 9 Sidewinders for air to air combat!

Inside the sponsons, it carried four M60 machine guns. That's probably what Forty thought was a mini gun.

The "D" model had advanced sensors, a FLIR in the nose. It looked like R2D2's head turned upside down. The wing stations couldn't carry Sidewinders, but usually carried drop tanks. A couple times, we loaded them with napalm!

I used to work on OV-10s in the 80s. You guys are right, it IS a BAAAD little aircraft.

The "A" model had 5 external stores stations that could carry rockets, flares and, as Forty Rod mentioned, gunpods. But it wasn't a minigun, it was a 20mm gun, just like a Cobra helicopter. And it could carry two of them!

The wing stations could carry AIM 9 Sidewinders for air to air combat!

Inside the sponsons, it carried four M60 machine guns. That's probably what Forty thought was a mini gun.

The "D" model had advanced sensors, a FLIR in the nose. It looked like R2D2's head turned upside down. The wing stations couldn't carry Sidewinders, but usually carried drop tanks. A couple times, we loaded them with napalm!

I can see how it might take four M-60s and a 20 mike mike to sound like a mini-gun from half a mile away. What ever, I fell in love with the Bronco that afternoon.

All hail to those airborne FAC's! I don't believe they use them anymore. Lot of articles in Air Force magazine about tactical AF troops on the ground right there in the mud with the Marines and Army troops. They can call in all sorts of tacair, from F-16's, to B-1's, B-2's and B-52's! Oh, yes, they can also call in a flying tank or two...you know, the ones that sound like the aircraft consumed ten cans of beans each time they shoot....brrrrrrrrp! (You know...30 mike-mike beans!

There is a OA-10 variant of the A-10, I believe it is the standard A-10 with pilots specially trained to control/direct other aircraft in the CAS role.

I can see how it might take four M-60s and a 20 mike mike to sound like a mini-gun from half a mile away. What ever, I fell in love with the Bronco that afternoon.

Having met several FACs, it wouldn’t surprise me that somebody did a field modification and mounted a mini on that Bronco. The initial concept was to just use marking rockets for the fast movers to zoom in on. But the FACs wanted in on the fun and guns began to appear.

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There is a OA-10 variant of the A-10, I believe it is the standard A-10 with pilots specially trained to control/direct other aircraft in the CAS role.

Speaking of A-10's and CAS, (that's Close Air Support) the 74th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron has been awarded the Air Force's Gallant Unit Citation, only the fifth one awarded, and the first to a fighter squadron! This was for "work" done in Syria, which the pilots said was unlike anything they did in Afghanistan! In one instance, they were chasing snipers inside a building, and used a Maverick missile to take down the 4-story structure along with the bad guys inside! For a bird that was scheduled to be completely removed from inventory, the A-10 is now undergoing a "re-winging" program to strengthen and lengthen the life of the aircraft.

Speaking of A-10's and CAS, (that's Close Air Support) the 74th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron has been awarded the Air Force's Gallant Unit Citation, only the fifth one awarded, and the first to a fighter squadron! This was for "work" done in Syria, which the pilots said was unlike anything they did in Afghanistan! In one instance, they were chasing snipers inside a building, and used a Maverick missile to take down the 4-story structure along with the bad guys inside! For a bird that was scheduled to be completely removed from inventory, the A-10 is now undergoing a "re-winging" program to strengthen and lengthen the life of the aircraft.

Air Force apparently considers them fighter aircraft. They are part of Air Combat Command, which has all the fighters. B-1 bombers used to be in ACC, but were transferred over to Global Strike Command along with all bombers, conventional, nuke or dual capability several years ago.

BTW, USAF apparently does NOT designate the A-10's in the 74th as "OA-10's". You can't tell the players without an official scorecard.

Air Force apparently considers them fighter aircraft. They are part of Air Combat Command, which has all the fighters. B-1 bombers used to be in ACC, but were transferred over to Global Strike Command along with all bombers, conventional, nuke or dual capability several years ago.

BTW, USAF apparently does NOT designate the A-10's in the 74th as "OA-10﻿'s". You can't tell the players without an official scorecard.

Obviously they need a new command for ground attack dudes. Good career path.

Having met several FACs, it wouldn’t surprise me that somebody did a field modification and mounted a mini on that Bronco. The initial concept was to just use marking rockets for the fast movers to zoom in on. But the FACs wanted in on the fun and guns began to appear.

Field mods? Like the Ma Deuce we mounted on a M-151A1?

We took it off after a day or two, Darn near shook that poor little"jeep" to pieces. Messed up some of the guys' hearing, too. And then there was the modular armor we rigged for another Mutt. (Couldn't get the regular kit so we had some fellers make one.) Had the only M151 in SE Asia that weighed as much as tank and wasn't anywhere near as fast. Mileage stunk, too. I think we mounted three M60s on that one

Lots of things tried, but I was Battalion Ordnance supply officer and I spent a lot of time gathering up stuff like 1928 and M1 Thompsons, M3A1 grease guns, a half dozen M2 carbines, some AKs and SKSs, a few French MAT49, a Swedish K or two and a lot of other such goodies. I had a Smith Model 60 for awhile, first stainless gun I ever saw.

My best buddies were a '28A1 and / M1 Tommy guns and a P35 Browning. I wanted a F-1 Aussie SMG, but the flight lieutenant (pronounced "loynent') said it would be easier for him to get me a Canberra bomber.

TIred of those pesky 2 am firebase ground assaults? Try the Ronco Super M151, Now modified with the secret ingredient M134. Best remedy in country.

(Extra truck batteries and 10,000 rounds of ammo not included)

You'd be amazed how hard it would have been to steal one of those. I had heard that some enterprising man up north of us got two and put them in the back of a deuce and a half, but never heard how it worked out....or if it even took place.

You'd be amazed how hard it would have been to steal one of those. I had heard that some enterprising man up north of us got two and put them in the back of a deuce and a half, but never heard how it worked out....or if it even took place.

Loach went down outside Firebase Jaimie. A company went out and the crew was fine but scared sh**less. They just wanted to get out of there and didn’t care what ended up missing off the bird. Everything was destroyed with thermite and C4 to prevent capture.

We took it off after a day or two, Darn near shook that poor little"jeep" to pieces. Messed up some of the guys' hearing, too. And then there was the modular armor we rigged for another Mutt. (Couldn't get the regular kit so we had some fellers make one.) Had the only M151 in SE Asia that weighed as much as tank and wasn't anywhere near as fast. Mileage stunk, too. I think we mounted three M60s on that one

Lots of things tried, but I was Battalion Ordnance supply officer and I spent a lot of time gathering up stuff like 1928 and M1 Thompsons, M3A1 grease guns, a half dozen M2 carbines, some AKs and SKSs, a few French MAT49, a Swedish K or two and a lot of other such goodies. I had a Smith Model 60 for awhile, first stainless gun I ever saw.

My best buddies were a '28A1 and / M1 Tommy guns and a P35 Browning. I wanted a F-1 Aussie SMG, but the flight lieutenant (pronounced "loynent') said it would be easier for him to get me a Canberra bomber.

What did you do with the Canberra?

Don't talk bad about the FACs. I got to fly target marking missions with our FAC in a O1-A. We didn't shoot marking rockets, we opened the window and dropped out smoke grenades. It was amazing how much the little brown brothers objected to this practice.

Don't talk bad about the FACs. I got to fly target marking missions with our FAC in a O1-A. We didn't shoot marking rockets, we opened the window and dropped out smoke grenades. It was amazing how much the little brown brothers objected to this practice.

Never got it. Didn't have room under my bunk for it and no one knew hot fly nor maintain it. Too bad, too. It was a pretty bird.